Consommé Girondine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow 1-quart ovenproof dish
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small sauté pan with lid
• •Thin, sharp knife
• •3-quart saucepan
• •2-quart soup tureen

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bain-marie

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Lightly butter a shallow 1-quart ovenproof dish with about 1 teaspoon of the butter and set it inside a deep roasting pan. This bain-marie, a hot-water bath, gives the royale the gentle heat once provided by individual baba-moulds.

2. 2

   Mix the ham royale

   Measure 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) of the cool consommé into a bowl. Break in the eggs and whisk only until completely blended; vigorous whisking traps bubbles that become holes in the finished royale. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, stir in the finely chopped ham, and pour it into the buttered dish. Skim away any bubbles floating on the surface.

   Use lean, unsmoked cooked ham such as jambon de Paris. Smoke and heavy curing overwhelm the clear beef broth, while large pieces tear the custard when it is cut.
3. 3

   Poach the royale gently

   Pour just-boiled water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the custard dish. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre gives one faint wobble when nudged. It must not brown, puff, or bubble. If the edges begin to swell, lower the oven to 275°F (135°C) and add a cup of cool water to the bath. Ça se rattrape: any porous edge can be trimmed after chilling, while the smooth centre still gives excellent lozenges.

4. 4

   Cut the carrot julienne

   Peel the carrots, then cut broad slabs from the strongly coloured outer flesh, stopping before the paler, firmer core. Cut those slabs into pieces about 1½ inches (4 cm) long, then into fine, even matchsticks about 1⁄16 inch (1.5 mm) wide. This is julienne-fashion. Measure 6 loosely packed tablespoons after cutting; equal rods cook together and remain distinct in the clear soup.

5. 5

   Stew the carrots

   Melt the remaining butter over low heat in a small sauté pan. Add the carrot julienne, cover, and stew gently for about 4 minutes, tossing once, until the rods bend slightly but take no brown colour. Add ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) of the measured consommé and cook at the barest simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still intact. If the butter begins to brown, add a spoonful of consommé and lower the heat at once; the carrot should taste sweet and buttery, never toasted. Lift out the carrots with a slotted spoon and strain their cooking liquor back into the remaining consommé.

6. 6

   Cut regular lozenges

   Lift the royale from its water bath and cool for 15 minutes, then chill until firm enough to cut, about 30 minutes. Loosen the edge with a thin knife and invert it onto a board. If it clings, stand the bottom of the dish in warm water for 5 seconds rather than prying. Cut parallel diagonal strips in both directions to make large, regular lozenges about 1¼ inches (3 cm) long, wiping the knife between cuts.

7. 7

   Heat and assemble

   Warm a soup tureen and the serving bowls with hot water, then dry them. Bring the remaining consommé and the strained carrot liquor to a brisk boil and taste; highly seasoned means vivid, not salty. If it is too strong, correct it with boiling water a tablespoon at a time. Arrange the royale lozenges and carrot julienne in the warm tureen, then pour the boiling consommé over them just before serving. Do not simmer the garnish in the pot, or the royale will roughen and the carrot will lose its colour. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Begin with a finished, clarified beef consommé. If it sets to a soft gel when cold, the foundation has enough body; skim away every trace of chilled fat before reheating so the broth stays clear.
• •The source's red carrot means the deeply coloured outer flesh, not a special modern variety. Avoid the pale woody core, which cooks more slowly and brings little colour to the tureen.
• •A shallow ovenproof dish is the honest home equivalent of four little baba-moulds. The individual moulds helped a brigade portion its work, but they add nothing once the royale is cut into lozenges.
• •Serve this as the first course of a dinner, with a dry white Bordeaux if wine is wanted. A heavy red crowds the consommé before the rest of the meal has even arrived.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the beef consommé up to three days ahead, chill it promptly, and remove the hardened surface fat before using. The recipe time begins with this finished component ready.
• •Bake the royale up to one day ahead and refrigerate it whole and covered. Cut the lozenges while cold, shortly before assembling the soup.
• •The carrot may be cut up to four hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stew it in butter and complete its cooking in consommé within 20 minutes of serving so its colour remains lively.
• •Keep broth, royale, and carrot separate until the table is ready. The final boiling pour warms the garnishes without overcooking them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)